Rapid covid spike forces Belgians to close doors on fans at top tier matches
October 23 – Belgium has become the latest country to ban fans from attending live football matches after a huge spike in coronavirus infections.
Europe
Aussies and Kiwis pull out of European trips in November match window
October 23 – Australia have joined New Zealand in pulling out of planned national team events in Europe due to the Europe-wide spike in coronavirus cases and increasing international travel restrictions.
UEFA connects with smartphone maker vivo for Euro 2020 and 2024
October 23 – Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo has committed to a four-year official partnership for Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Mediapro seeks rights fee rebate on €172m demanded by LFP
October 22 – Spanish media rights agency Mediapro is seeking a negotiated solution with the LFP after the French league issued a €172 million demand for unpaid rights fees.
Swiss cut stadium attendances to 1,000 as FC Sion puts whole squad into quarantine
October 22 – Top-flight Swiss side FC Sion have put their entire squad and medical staff into quarantine and have asked for their next two games to be postponed following the club’s latest coronavirus tests, though results were not revealed.
UEFA halts play in Armenia and Azerbaijan as military dispute intensifies
October 22 – UEFA have put a stop to all club and national team competitions in Armenia and Azerbaijan until further notice because of the continuing military conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
UEFA pushes button on second edition of eEuros on Konami’s PES platform
October 22 – UEFA has launched the second of its national team esports competition – eEuro 2021 – which will complete with a London final in the summer next year.
Super League plan would deliver £6bn breakaway for Europe’s biggest clubs
By Andrew Warshaw
October 21 – Yet another audacious challenge to the Champions League is reportedly being plotted behind the scenes involving Europe’s biggest clubs and altering the entire landscape of the game at elite level. It is a repeating narrative in Europe but this time round appears to have FIFA’s encouragement.
Big clubs set dominate cash safe haven of UEFA’s Champions League payouts
October 21 – With the uncertainty surrounding club revenues in domestic leagues, particularly around match day revenue, clubs that have qualified for the UEFA Champions League will be grateful for the relative the financial stability that competition brings.
UEFA calls off U-19 Euros but sends top 5 ranked teams to U-20 World Cup
October 21 – UEFA has cancelled its U-19 European Championship because of the coronavirus pandemic and issues around international travel.
Spanish civil war rages over LaLiga’s Monday and Friday night games
October 21 – The ongoing row between the Spanish league and the national federation over which days domestic matches can take place in the country is back in the news after a Madrid court rejected the latest request by La Liga to play on Mondays and Fridays.
Greeks shelve plans to lift fan ban as virus spikes
October 21 – Greece has dropped plans to allow fans back at sporting events and football matches, the country’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday. The measure forms parts of new tougher restrictions in Greece to combat and contain the coronavirus.
Berbr resigns post as Czech FA scrambles to limit match-fixing damage
By Andrew Warshaw
October 20 – Within hours of being embroiled in match-fixing scandal that has rocked his country, the vice-chairman of the Czech FA, Roman Berbr, has handed in his resignation despite having vehemently denied any involvement.
Lost matches force UEFA to cut Champions and Europa League prize pools
October 20 – The Covid pandemic has forced UEFA to reduce Champions League and Europa League prize money. The cut will be spread over the next five seasons.
UEFA mull expanding UCL group stages to 36 teams
October 20 – UEFA are considering radical plans to change the format of the Champions League to allow 36 clubs in the group stage according to unconfirmed reports.